Answers to the most common questions we get about emergency locksmith services in the UK - response times, pricing, lock types, warranty and what to do right now if you are locked out. All answers reflect how 24hrslocksmith actually works: fixed prices, DBS-checked engineers, 24/7 availability, 180-day warranty. If your question is not covered below, call us on +44 20 3053 8733.
Our average response time in London is 19 minutes. Elsewhere in the UK, arrival depends on traffic, distance and time of day, but our dispatch is built around the fastest practical route. When you call, we give you an estimated ETA in plain minutes - not a vague window - so you know exactly when to expect the engineer.
Yes. 24hrslocksmith operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including bank holidays and Christmas. The same DBS-checked engineers handle night calls as day calls, and there is no night or weekend surcharge added to the quote.
Stay calm and step away from the door - do not try to force entry, which can damage the lock and increase the final cost. Call us on +44 20 3053 8733 and describe the door and lock type as best you can. We will give you a fixed price on the phone and dispatch the nearest engineer immediately. If you are in a vulnerable situation (child or pet inside, medical concern), tell the dispatcher so we can prioritise.
Yes. We handle post-burglary lock repairs and replacements as a priority callout - typically within the hour in London. We can also advise on insurance requirements (for example British Standard BS3621 locks) and provide a written invoice that your insurer will accept.
Locksmith pricing depends on three things: the lock type, the door condition, and what has actually happened. A basic cylinder swap on a clean uPVC door is a different job from replacing a seized multi-point mechanism on a warped composite door. A static price list would mislead more often than it would help. Instead, we quote a fixed price on the phone once we understand the job, and confirm it in person before any work begins.
No. If our engineer arrives, diagnoses the problem, and you decide not to proceed, you do not pay. We only charge when you approve the work and it is actually carried out.
No. The fixed price quoted on the phone is the same at 3am on a Sunday as it is at 3pm on a Tuesday. Emergencies do not follow a schedule and we do not penalise you for the timing of the problem.
Payment is taken on site once the work is completed and you are satisfied with the result. We accept all major debit and credit cards - Visa, Mastercard, American Express - as well as Revolut. We do not pressure customers into cash-only payments or upfront deposits for standard callouts.
If the engineer discovers something the phone call could not reveal - for example a seized gearbox behind what looked like a cylinder problem - they stop work and agree a revised fixed price with you before continuing. You stay in control of the total cost from start to finish.
All common UK residential and commercial locks: Yale-style nightlatches, mortice deadlocks and sashlocks, Euro profile cylinders, British Standard BS3621 locks, multi-point uPVC mechanisms, anti-snap and anti-bump cylinders, digital and smart locks, and commercial mortice and deadbolt systems. Our engineers carry a wide range of parts in the van so most jobs can be completed in a single visit.
Yes, and this is one of our most common jobs. Losing keys means anyone who finds them has potential access to your property, which is why most insurance policies expect you to change the affected locks promptly. We can usually replace the cylinder or the full lock within the same callout, and issue as many new keys as you need.
Yes. We repair and replace uPVC multi-point locking mechanisms (the long strip with hooks, rollers and shoot bolts), cylinders, gearboxes, and handle sets. We also fix alignment issues where the door no longer latches or needs to be lifted before the key will turn.
Yes. Broken key extraction is routine for us and rarely requires damaging the lock itself. We carry specialist extractor tools that grip the broken fragment and pull it out cleanly, after which we test the mechanism and replace the key or the cylinder if needed.
Yes. We can advise on, supply and install reputable smart lock brands on most UK door types, including retrofit models that replace an existing Euro cylinder. Before fitting, we check door condition and alignment, because smart locks rely on a well-maintained frame to operate reliably.
Every installation and repair is covered by a 180-day parts and labour warranty, documented on your invoice. If something covered by the warranty fails during that period, we return and fix it at no extra charge to you.
Yes. All our engineers are DBS-checked (Disclosure and Barring Service), fully insured through the company's public liability cover, and carry photo identification on every job. You can ask to see ID before letting an engineer in.
We fit locks to British Standard BS3621 where appropriate, which is the standard most UK home insurance policies require for the main entry doors of a property. After installation we can provide documentation that your insurer will accept as evidence of compliance.
We trade as 24H Online Services Ltd, registered in England and Wales, with our head office at 128 City Road, London EC1V 2NX. You can verify us on Trustpilot, on our Facebook and Instagram pages, and via Companies House using the legal name above.
Every London postcode, plus major UK cities including Birmingham and Manchester. We have location-specific pages for over 400 areas - use the site search or the 'Areas covered' page to find the one closest to you. If your postcode is not listed, call us anyway and we will tell you whether we can dispatch an engineer from a nearby zone.
Yes. We work with offices, retail, hospitality, schools and landlords on emergency access, master key systems, lock upgrades after staff changes, and planned security maintenance. For ongoing accounts we can agree terms and provide priority response. See our Business Services page for details or call to discuss.
Yes. Changing locks between tenancies is one of the easiest ways to protect a property, and we handle this routinely for landlords and letting agents. We can rekey existing cylinders or fit new ones, supply as many new keys as the new tenant needs, and provide a dated invoice for the record.
We offer limited automotive locksmith support for common scenarios such as locked-in keys and some lost key replacements on older vehicles. For modern transponder and proximity keys we can refer you to a specialist auto locksmith where appropriate - just call and describe the vehicle and situation.
Call us anytime - we answer 24/7, give a fixed quote on the phone, and dispatch the nearest DBS-checked engineer.
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